This Time for Keeps

Dick Herald returns home and, now preferring to be called Dick Johnson, expresses reluctance to join his father's opera company or to marry Frances. He is eager to enjoy life after the war and feels pressure to settle down quickly. The family tension sets the stage for his entanglements and choices.

During his recovery, Dick is told about Nora's beauty while his eyes still bandaged. Nora allows him to touch her face and they share a kiss, only for him to reveal that he can actually see. This misdirected moment sparks a complicated attraction between them.

Backstage at the Aqua Capers show, Nora recalls their earlier moment and offers Dick a place with the act. He flirts with her, and Ferdi convinces his friend Xavier Cugat to hire him as a baritone at the nightclub. The arrangement launches Dick's entertainment career and deepens his connection with Nora.

Dick and Nora dine after a performance, and Nora makes it clear that she must first win her family's blessing. She explains that Dick must pass an inspection by her family on Mackinac Island. The requirement marks a crucial test of whether personal love can outrun family duty.

On Mackinac Island, Harriet meets with Richard Herald and concedes to announce the engagement between Dick and Frances, though Dick remains unaware. The arrangement foreshadows a looming conflict between duty and desire. The island's dynamics set the stage for the lovers' growing dilemma.

Dick meets Nora's grandmother and her niece Deborah, winning their warmth by singing 'Grandmother's favorite song.' The elders grant approval, giving Nora renewed hope for a future with him. Yet Dick still plans to tell his father about Nora and end the engagement to Frances.

Gordon discovers the engagement announcement and Ferdi informs Nora, leaving her heartbroken at the prospect of Dick marrying Frances. Gordon arranges for Nora to stay somewhere Dick can't find her. The revelation fractures the path to their union.

Six weeks later, Mr. Herald arrives at an Aqua Capers rehearsal seeking Nora, but Ferdi refuses to reveal her whereabouts. The kid-glove approach to parental pressure contrasts with the lovers' longing. The island social web keeps Nora and Dick apart for the moment.

Summer comes to Mackinac Island, and Nora travels there with Gordon and Ferdi. Dick joins Xavier Cugat's band and heads to the Grand Hotel for performances as Deborah rushes to alert him of Nora's presence. The stage is set for a decisive confrontation and possible reconciliation.

Nora and Deborah arrive and Dick attempts to explain the tangled situation, but Nora remains upset and rejects him. Deborah's jealousy adds tension as the sisters vie for happiness. The emotional clash underscores how far apart the lovers have drifted.

Ferdi guides a reconciliation effort by bringing Mr. Herald to the island and apologizing to Grandmother Cambaretti. They decide that Nora and Dick should marry, and they begin arranging the path to bring them together. The family alliance forms the critical bridge to a possible union.

At the Grand Hotel, Mr. Herald attends Dick's performance and subtly influences Xavier Cugat to fire his own son. Dick then steps forward, singing 'Easy to Love' after a moment of 'La donna è mobile,' and sits beside Nora as they hold hands. The moment marks the formal rejoining of the couple and the promise of marriage.